Piano playing
by CTMsunday
Summary: Shelagh wants to learn to play piano, but will Patrick help or hinder?...


Upon opening the door to their flat, and manoeuvring through the narrow hallway with a growing baby on her hip, and a bag of shopping in the other hand, she could hear the faint notes of a piano sounding through their home. The soft melody waved a sense of calm over Shelagh. The market today had been busier than usual, with the annual bake sale for the cubs arranged on the same day. She had been eager to quickly collect what the family needed and head back to the peace of her home.

She walked into the living room, placing the shopping gently on the sofa ready to be put away in the kitchen and looked over to the source of music in the flat. There was Patrick running his fingers effortlessly across the keys to create a rendition of the piece of music written in front of him. Shelagh's marriage to Patrick was a surprise to everyone is Poplar, but most of all to her. She had never thought that as a freshly qualified nun and nurse, she would ever give way her life to that of having a family. But how lucky she was that she had.

She took a moment to take in the sight. She hadn't often seen her husband play and when he did, as soon as he saw her he stopped and embraced her, clearly covering his embarrassment. Not that she minded of course! Today, Patrick hadn't noticed her presence. With a worn out Angela resting her head on her mother's shoulder and the shopping for the next couple of days done, Shelagh wanted to take advance of the peaceful surroundings.

Tiptoeing she left the room and placed Angela into the cot, tucking her into the soft yellow blankets knitted by Sister Monica Joan and eventually finished in impatience by Sister Evangelina.

She stood with her arms crossed leaning against the doorframe. Through his shirt-clad back she could see hints of his muscles tense and then relax as he moved his hands skillfully along the piano. At one time she could only look, but now with the rings on her left hand she was granted the pleasure of touch.

Creeping forward, she slid her hands up the top half of his back, over his shoulder blades and around his neck, leaning her body gently over his. His hands continued playing but she felt the long exhaled from his nose as she briefly placed her lips on his cheek and nuzzled the scattered grainy texture that had formed after a days work.

Letting go, she edged herself onto the piano bench and slid her legs round neatly next to his long ones on her right. She placed her hands delicately onto the keys. Shelagh had never learnt to play any instrument fully, but Timothy had briefly taught her a few chords when he was trying to get out of his own piano practice. She soon began to realize, however, that her step-son made moving his hands across the keys effortless, but for a beginner like her, it wasn't.

Patrick stopped playing to listen, expecting a perfect harmony of notes to sound from her delicate hands. He winced.

"My love," He gently took hold of her hands and placed them widespread in front of her, each finger of a different key. "That's how you hold your hands", he spoke softly. "Try each key to get a feel for it". She pressed down on each key using her left hand as Patrick told her what each note was; C, D, E, F, G and then she did the same with the right hand.

"That's it! Now, try a chord Timothy taught you"

After taking a moment to remember which of the notes she needed, she played three keys together, and out from the piano came a perfect sounding D chord.

"My love, well done" Patrick congratulated her with a kiss on her blushing cheek.

After a few minutes, both became restless of the serious teaching and started to make up songs using a variety of notes mixed together.

"Shelagh, stop moving so much, you're going to knock us both off! "

"Well it's not my fault you're taking up so much room on this bench Patrick, dear"

"Why don't we change that then?... " She turned to him and saw the familiar glint in his eye that usually occurs when they only had each other for company.

"Patrick Turner, I really don't know what you're about to suggest, but I'm sitting here to be taught how to play the piano and nothing more"

He feigned a small groan and rolled his eyes in her direction. Sliding his arm quickly round her back, he pulled her in his direction and she landed directly in his lap. When she looked round, his mouth turned up into a worthy smirk.

"Well that's one way to create a little more room on the bench I suppose" she giggled, slightly breathless, but with the rising blush forming on her cheeks it wasn't just the shock of moving that caused her breathe to catch.


End file.
